Now you can play poker 24/7. No longer is a trip to Las Vegas necessary for a game of Texas Holdem. Today, playing poker is as easy as signing onto the web, visiting an online poker room and seeking out your competition. The convergence of poker and the Internet offers an unparalleled convenience, and this is one of the main reasons online poker has developed from its infancy to a robust worldwide community.

Reading your opponentswill never be the same. Online, you cannot physically see your competition. There are no physical players, so no one can analyze your physical characteristics and behavior.

Inexperienced players frequent many rooms. Referred to as fish, new players present plentiful opportunities for the more experienced population. This factor tends to offer more chances for profit than offline play. New players of equal skill levelalso present opportunities for each other. Newbies can play with newbies and gain a sense of comfort and create a poker strategy that is right for them.

Promotional offersequal free chips. All of the popular online casinos offer bonuses to attract players to the tables. It's a great way to build a solid population at a poker room, and it is also a smart strategy to build a bankroll with a smaller amount of personal funds.

The profit potentialin online poker is limitless. Good players are given the opportunity to advance to bigger tournaments and gain recognition in the process. Chris Moneymaker, 27, won the 2003 World Series of Poker No Limit Holdem Championship, thanks to online poker. His entry into the Series is rooted in his success at online poker rooms.